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Does BMC’s Tejay van Garderen have what it takes it takes mentally to win a major international stage race?

While he has a long list of top-five finishes on his resume, van Garderen still lacks a signature win. On paper at least, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California is van Garderen’s race to lose. An all-rounder who can both climb and time-trial, the American is unlikely to find any stage particularly challenging, and the rest of the field is relatively light on potential contenders.

That said, many riders have struggled to win races when they’re expected to. And van Garderen is coming back from a long period at home, training in inconsistent weather, and adjusting to the addition of his family’s first child.

Stage 2’s summit finish in Greater Palm Springs should provide our first indication as to the 24-year-old’s chances. Locals say the 3.7-mile climb of Tramway Road is much harder than it looks on paper. And with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees by the end of the Tour’s longest stage, time gaps could be significant.

The mark of a great rider is the ability to win under pressure, and van Garderen needs to show that he deserves to be the captain of his team for years to come. A win this week could be the victory that transforms him from an inconsistent challenger into a consistent champion.

Last year’s race became the "Peter Sagan Tour of California" after the Slovak won five of the event’s eight stages. And while many consider this year’s race to be the most difficult in event history, there are still several stages that look to be right up Sagan’s alley.

Expect Sagan’s biggest challenges to come from Garmin-Sharp’s Tyler Farrar and Omega Pharma–Quick-Step’s Gianni Meersman. Farrar is still winless this season, but the American is eager to open his 2013 account in front of home fans. And while he doesn’t often attend domestic events, his two stage wins at last year’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge have perhaps altered his perspective.

As for Meersman, the Belgian has become one of the sport’s most underrated sprinters. The 27-year-old already has four stage wins in WorldTour stage races this season, and—like Sagan—excels on hillier days when pure field sprinters are dropped before the finish. It would be a surprise if the Belgian doesn’t come away from California with at least one stage victory.

Will RadioShack-Leopard’s Andy Schleck finish the race?

A few years ago, this wasn’t a question worth asking, but as of late, Andy Schleck’s fitness has been far from a given. The trouble started at the beginning of last season when the Luxembourger’s poor form elicited criticism from team management. Schleck’s bad luck continued at the Criterium du Dauphiné when a crash and subsequent broken pelvis ended his Tour de France before it even began.